Biden's interview dispels all doubt.

October 16, 2023

          Before discussing the news, I want to note that emails coming into my inbox have changed in tenor over the last week. Expressions of grief, outrage, and fear are understandable—and predominant. But emails are beginning to express a new sense of powerlessness and despair about the prospects for peace in the Middle East and the fate of innocent Israelis and Palestinians. People don’t know what to do or how they can help.

          First, you should know that you are not alone in your feelings. Do not suffer in silence or loneliness. Engage in community, talk to friends, seek help. Know that hundreds of millions of Americans are by your side, ready to defend fellow citizens and non-citizens from hate, discrimination, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia.

          Second, we must be honest: There are no easy answers or quick fixes for the intractable problems in the Middle East. The situation will get much worse before it gets better. Individually, we have little hope of affecting events in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. But we can help ensure that democracy in the United States is robust and stable. A strong, just, liberal democracy in America is an indispensable condition for any fair solution in the Middle East. Everything you do to preserve and extend democracy in America will—indirectly—help promote eventual peace in the Middle East.

          It will take decades to achieve peace and justice in the Middle East. But any solution will be the accumulation of small acts of democracy, justice, and determination. The solution will unfold slowly at first but may come upon us quickly. We must ensure the ground is prepared for peace when the opportunity arises. So, for those who are feeling powerless, know that you are engaged in an act of hope when you defend democracy at home—by preparing the path to a Middle East peace that our generation might not see.

          We are the beneficiaries of those who came before us and engaged in similar acts of hope. Their work was not in vain, even though they did not see the blessings and liberties that we take for granted in our daily lives. Some day in the future, Israelis and Palestinians will live in peace, oblivious to the forgotten sacrifices that purchased the peace they take for granted in their daily lives. What could be better?

          Stay calm. Control what is in front of you. Protect democracy. Repeat.

President Biden’s interview on CBS 60 Minutes.

          President Biden sat for an interview with CBS 60 Minutes on Thursday. I urge you to watch the entire interview here: 60 Minutes: Pres. Biden: The 2023 Interview.

          On the substance, President Biden’s answers were direct and honest. He avoided vague, evasive answers that are the refuge of most politicians. His answers were frequently simple and to the point: “Yes,” “No,” and “Don’t,” (the latter a reference to a question about any effort by Iran to expand the war). He said it would be a “mistake” for Israel to occupy Gaza on a permanent basis but defended Israel’s right to eliminate Hamas. He reiterated America’s support for Israel and Ukraine. He discussed the strategic necessity of defending both and spoke of the opportunity of achieving peace in the Middle East and unifying Europe in his second term.

          If you have any reservations about Joe Biden running for re-election, this interview should put your concerns to rest. At a moment of global crisis, President Joe Biden has risen to the challenge as no other living politician could. As noted above, the situation in the Middle East may get much worse before it gets better. But Biden’s unequivocal support for Israel while demanding adherence to the laws of war has the best chance of avoiding unnecessary harm to civilians while shortening the path to peace.

Jim Jordan threatens members of GOP caucus who do not support him.

          Everything you need to know about the dysfunction of the GOP is encapsulated in the nomination of Jim Jordan to be Speaker of the House. The Speaker of the House is charged with managing the business of the House, which exercises the “legislative power” of the US on a joint basis with the Senate. The Speaker’s role is described in A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House - Chapter 34. Office of the Speaker (govinfo.gov)

          Per the House practice guide above,

The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House [and] maintains order, manages its proceedings, and governs the administration of its business. . . . The Speaker’s role as presiding officer is an impartial one, and his rulings serve to protect the rights of the minority.

          Jim Jordan is the antithesis of that description:

• In sixteen years in the House, Jim Jordan has not sponsored a bill that has become law.

• Jordan refused to comply with a subpoena from the January 6 Committee.

• Jordan objected to the electoral votes of three states in the 2020 election even after the assault on the Capitol.

• Jordan spoke with Trump from the House floor for ten minutes before the January 6 attack on the Capitol, suggesting that Jordan conspired with Trump to delay the count of the electoral ballots, effectively operating as a co-conspirator in the coup attempt.

• Jordan has used the House Select Committee on the Weaponization of Government to harass Trump's political opponents—as directed by Trump.

• Jordan has used the House Judiciary Committee to investigate Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis and Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, both of whom are prosecuting Trump for violating state criminal laws.

• Despite strong support in the GOP caucus for funding Ukraine, Jordan has apparently promised the MAGA extremists that he will not allow a Ukraine funding bill to make it to the floor.

          Although it would be hard to imagine a member more unfit to be Speaker of the House, the sad truth is that the GOP caucus is filled with potential candidates who would match Jordan’s unfitness.

          As of last Friday, Jim Jordan was 55 votes short of the 217 GOP votes necessary to be elected as Speaker of the House. When Steve Scalise was faced with a similar deficit, he withdrew his nomination. Jim Jordan, on the other hand, has begun a campaign of intimidation and reprisals against members who do not support his candidacy.

          Once a bully, always a bully.

          As the first step in threatening his way into a role created by the Constitution, Jordan’s allies have begun “doxing” GOP members of the House who are presumed “No” votes on Jordan’s candidacy. They are urging Trump's base to overwhelm the naysayers with phone calls, letters, and bullying. Threats of mounting primary challenges against Jordan’s doubters are also being floated among the usual press sources.

          But, an extremist member who supports Jordan said that threatening people to get their votes is a “dumb idea.” See The Hill, Crenshaw says pressure campaign by Jordan is ‘dumbest way’ to support GOP nominee for Speaker.

          No one has ever accused Jim Jordan of being the sharpest pencil in the box. He is a wrestler. Political strategy and wrestling are the same to Jim Jordan. (Apologies to all wrestlers.)

          I have no idea whether Jim Jordan will succeed in his quest to become Speaker of the House. I do know that he will fail immediately if he is elected. He will not preside over a unified GOP caucus, let alone a governable House. It is now clear that ousting McCarthy did not “cause” any chaos; it was embedded in the GOP caucus and was waiting to erupt under any member elected with the gun-to-the-head support of the extremists in the Freedom Caucus.

          Let’s hope Jordan is not elected. That will be the quickest path to a speaker with support from Republicans and Democrats. It can’t happen soon enough. Our allies in Israel and Ukraine are counting on the US to keep its commitments.

Disappointing loss in Louisiana governor’s race.

          Republican Jeff Landry won a majority of the vote in Louisiana’s “open primary,” thereby clinching the governor's office with 51.6% of the vote. The Democratic candidate, Shawn Wilson, came in second with 25.9% of the vote. See Louisiana gubernatorial election, 2023 - Ballotpedia. The seat was previously held by Democrat John Bel Edwards, who served two terms and could not run again.

          The result is disappointing for three reasons. First, as David Begnaud wrote, turnout for the primary was 35.8%, meaning that 18% of registered voters elected Louisiana’s governor. That hurts, especially given that Democrats outnumber Republicans among registered voters!! See Statistical Statewide Combined (la.gov).

          Second, the loss of the governor’s office by Democrats means that Louisiana becomes a Republican trifecta.

          Finally, the Democratic candidate, Shawn Wilson, would have become only the fourth Black governor elected in our nation’s history. See The Hill, Only three Black governors have ever been elected in US history. While Democrats outnumber Republicans by 150,000 voters in Louisiana, white voters outnumber Black voters by 940,000.

          The result in Louisiana was the product of multiple factors, including voter suppression efforts, low voter turnout in the primary, and likely racially motivated votes (or disinterest) by white voters for a Black candidate. Whatever the reason, everyone in the Democratic Party has some soul-searching to do. We could have and should have prevented the loss of a Democratic governorship in the South.

Concluding Thoughts.

          If you haven’t yet watched Joe Biden’s interview on 60 Minutes, I urge you to do so. The terrorist attack on Israel and its declaration of war on Hamas is a situation of immense complexity. Biden exudes wisdom, judgment, determination, compassion, and righteousness. I know that many of us have said in the past, “We are fortunate to have Joe Biden as our president at this fraught moment.” On the eve of Israel’s assault on Hamas in Gaza, it deserves to be said again: “We are fortunate to have Joe Biden as our president at this fraught moment.”

          Talk to you tomorrow.

PS: Below is a photo I took of the partial annular eclipse in Los Angeles. It is an interesting photo with the following backstory: My wife and I accompanied our granddaughters on a visit to the nearby “pumpkin patch.” I brought my camera to photograph my granddaughters but took the opportunity to capture the eclipse. Because I had no equipment, I just put my camera into autofocus, knocked down the exposure by three stops, pointed the camera in the direction of the sun (without looking through the viewfinder), and took a burst of ten photos.

          Given my haphazard shooting setup, I failed to notice that a set of powerlines dissected the frame. With a bit of back-end processing, I was able to equalize the exposure between the sun and powerlines for the photo below. My wife has included a dozen more photos in her daily blog, Annular Eclipse 2023 (everydaywithjill.com).